Founded in 1974, RAMS, Inc. is a private, non-profit mental health agency that is committed to advocating for and providing community based, culturally-competent, and consumer-guided comprehensive services, with an emphasis on serving Asian & Pacific Islander Americans. RAMS is committed to reflecting the multicultural & multilingual diversity of our community.

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Monday, October 13, 2014

An Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) family trying to make the best of their circumstances. A wife haunted by traumatic memories of her past. A husband battling his own issues while having to keep his job, his sanity and his marriage together. A very realistic but truly sympathetic portrayal of mental illness that affects many Filipino households.

Mga Anino ng Kahapon (Shadows of the Past)starring Agot Isidro and TJ Trinidad is an acclaimed landmark film about a family's heart-wrenching journey through mental illness juxtaposed against the lingering traumas of martial law and the challenges of OFWs.

The movie directed by Alvin B. Yapan earned the Special Jury Prize at the Metro Manila Film Festival New Wave Division and won Agot Isidro the Best Actress award for the same division.

Mga Anino ng Kahapon will be shown for the first time in the Bay Area for FREE.Date: Saturday, October 25, 2014 Time: 4:30pm-7:00pm Location: Skyline College (Building 4, Room 4148)
3300 College Drive, San Bruno, CA 94066
The movie is in Tagalog with English subtitles.

Sponsored by Positively Filipino, the Filipino Mental Health Initiative of San Mateo (FMHISMC) and RAMS Inc., a nonprofit mental health agency serving Asian Americans, the film screening will be followed by a Q&A led by Dr. Jei Africa of FMHISMC with the special participation of Manila-based journalist and mental health advocate Cathy Sanchez-Babao, who was instrumental in the making of this movie.

The public is invited. Light refreshments will be served.

Seats are limited to please RSVP immediately to fmhismc@gmail.com or at gemma@positivelyfilipino.com.

When a mental health crisis happens, people are often wondering what to do and generally unable to detect early signs of mental health issues. Mental Health First Aid training addresses these questions and offers participants with the knowledge & skills to recognize warning signs, how to assess a mental health crisis, and how to act during the crisis situation. The course will train seniors, caregivers, and community members. The training is FREE, sponsored by RAMS and
funded by Mental Health Services Act through Community Behavioral Health
Services-San Francisco Department of Public Health.

When: Sunday, October 26, 2014, 9:00am to 5:00pm Where: Bayanihan Center, 1010 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Lunch and light snacks will be provided.
For more information, and if you are interested in this training, please contact Joyce Vives-Diloy, MSW, Filipino Cultural & Language Specialist at the San Francisco Filipino Mental Health Initiative, at: sfofmhi@gmail.com

Space is limited, please RSVP to sfofmhi@gmail.com by October 20 to reserve your spot.

According to the National Council on Behavioral Health:

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID?
Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour course that introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health concerns, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments. The course uses role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to assess a mental health crisis; select interventions and provide initial help; and connect persons to professional, peer and social supports as well as self-help resources. Mental Health First Aid allows for early detection and intervention by teaching participants about the signs and symptoms of specific illnesses like anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and addictions. The program offers concrete tools and answers key questions like “What can I do?” and “Where can someone find help?” Participants are introduced to local mental health resources, national organizations, support groups, and online tools for mental health and addictions treatment and support.

WHY MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID?
One in five Americans has a mental illness and many are reluctant to seek help or might not know where to turn for care. The symptoms of mental illness can be difficult to detect — even when friends and family of someone who appears to be developing a mental illness can tell that something is amiss, they may not know how to intervene or direct the person to proper treatment – which means that all too often, those in need of mental health services do not get them until it is too late. As a society, we largely remain ignorant about the signs and symptoms of mental illnesses, and we ignore our role as responsible community members to help people experiencing these illnesses.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN MENTAL HEALTH DAY

Richmond Area Multi-Services, Inc. (RAMS) honors “Asian Pacific American Mental Health Day” on May 10th which was first established in 2010, as declared by the State of California and the City & County of San Francisco, recognizing the importance of raising awareness about mental health in the Asian Pacific American community. The establishment of Asian Pacific American Mental Health Day was an effort spearheaded by RAMS and overwhelmingly supported by many major associations and community coalitions. “Since May is already established nationally as the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, instituting this day in May more closely aligns both awareness efforts,” says Kavoos G. Bassiri, President & CEO of RAMS, Inc. Click http://ramsinc.blogspot.com/2010/05/happy-asian-pacific-american-mental.html to read about the establishment of the Asian Pacific American Mental Health Day.

2015 APA Mental Health Day

Celebrating Mental Wellness on Mother's Day for the whole family at a Wellness Fair co-hosted with the Richmond District Neighborhood Center

2014 APA Mental Health Day

RAMS staff outreach to older adults at Self-Help For The Elderly

2013 APA Mental Health Day

RAMS and other providers speak at a press conference to discuss the issues of detecting and addressing mental health concerns in primary care & non-mental health care settings

2012: APA Mental Health Day Press Conference

RAMS partnered with NAAPIMHA and interTrend Communications to launch "Friends Do Make A Difference" campaign among high school students in San Francisco

2011: Knowing Our Roots and Growing Beyond

RAMS presented a one-day seminar on May 10, 2011, in honor of Asian Pacific American Mental Health Day

2010: RAMS Raffle & Summer Scooter Sweepstakes!

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What We Do

Our agency offers comprehensive services that aim to meet the behavioral health, social, vocational, and educational needs of the diverse community of the San Francisco Area, with special focus on the Asian & Pacific Islander American and Russian-speaking populations.

In addition, RAMS provides outreach and preventative services at many community locations, such as schools, childcare centers, social service agencies, and churches. We also provide clinical training and internships in all mental health disciplines. Services are available in English, Asian & Pacific Islander, Russian, and Spanish languages.